Molten Chocolate Cakes

Molten Chocolate Cakes


**Susan's Note: After eating at Kitchen 233 and having this for dessert, I tried making these for the first time. YUM. I would also like to try this yummy-looking chocolate chip version.

Prep Time:
15 min
Total Time:
30 min
Makes:
8 servings, one half molten cake each
What You Need
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (I used vanilla ice cream)

PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Butter four 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes. Place on baking sheet.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Blend in eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk. Stir in flour. Divide batter among prepared custard cups.

BAKE 13 to 14 min. or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 min. Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Serve immediately, topped with whipped topping.

Calories
290
Total fat
19 g
Saturated fat
10 g
Cholesterol
135 mg
Sodium
105 mg
Carbohydrate
29 g
Dietary fiber
1 g
Sugars
21 g
Protein
4 g
Vitamin A
10 %DV
Vitamin C
0 %DV
Calcium
2 %DV
Iron
8 %DV

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake

***Susan's Note: Not for the weak of heart! I first had this when I worked at IU in 2005. John Scully of the Registrar's office brought it in. Wow.

Chocolate lovers will adore this dessert. The edges and top develop a delicately crisp crust while the center remains moist and fudgy.

Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients

Serves 8

* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
* 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or 8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate)
* 6 large egg yolks
* 6 large egg whites
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees; with rack in center. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Place butter and chocolate in a large bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until melted; cool slightly. Whisk in yolks.
2. In another bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar; beat until stiff and glossy. Whisk 1/4 of whites into chocolate mixture; gently fold mixture into remaining whites.
3. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is just set in center, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Serve dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Almond Bark, Peanut Bark, Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

****Susan's note: An easy, delicious holiday treat. The photo is by Ben Eley, copyright 11/27/08. It is my holiday cookie tray this year! All the treats shown are on this blog, except for the Honey Peanut cookies (recipe from MasterCook) which were just ok - not my favorite.


ALMOND BARK
Toss raw almonds with a little oil and salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast at 425 degrees for about 3 minutes. Cool.

Pour 1 bag butterscotch chips and 1 bag semisweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals and stir, until melted together, about 1 minute.

Spread melted chocolate mixture over nuts. Allow to cool (refrigeration or freezing is ok). Break up with hands to make "bark" pieces.


PEANUT BARK
Follow directions above, using raw peanuts and peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch chips. Yum.



Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
"These cookies are absolutely delicious and absolutely addictive! I keep rolls of it on hand in the freezer and just slice off as many as I want to bake at one time. They never last long. My 2 year old LOVES them. Another winner from FC..."

31 min | 20 min prep

48 cookies

* 6 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour (1 1/2 c.)
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
* 8 ounces unsalted butter, slightly softened
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 6 ounces dried cranberries (1 1/3 c.)
* 5 ounces chopped pecans (about 1 c.)

1. Oven to 350 degrees F.
2. (if baking right away).
3. Line sheet pans with parchment.
4. Mix the dry ingredients together, then stir in the oats.
5. Set aside.
6. Beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy.
7. Add the eggs, then scrape down the bowl; add the honey and vanilla and beat until blended.
8. Add the flour mixture in two additions, beating each until well combined.
9. Stir in the cranberries and pecans.
10. At this point, you can either bake, or freeze.
11. To freeze, just scrape the dough onto plastic wrap, roll into a log, wrap tightly, and freeze until ready to bake.
12. Then just take them out of the freezer, let sit for about 15 minutes, then slice into 3/16" thick slices and bake as directed.
13. To bake immediately: drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on parchment lined sheet pans.
14. Bake until the centers of the cookies are soft and no longer look wet; about 9-11 minutes.
15. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

***Susan's note: Another blogger posted her favorite chocolate chip cookie, these Chocolate Chip Amish Puff Cookies. I, like her husband, though, prefer the "thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie." Recipe she provides is below. I originally found this blogpost through the This Week for Dinner blog.

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (from delish blog)

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c white sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven 325°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside. With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll a scant half-cup of dough into a ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 11-14 minutes). Do not overbake.

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated, page 434